The document discusses the medical sector in Dubai, outlining opportunities and challenges. It notes Dubai's goals of providing world-class healthcare for residents while becoming a center for medical tourism. Key opportunities include developing specialized hospitals, attracting medical tourists for treatments like cosmetic surgery, and expanding long-term care options. Major challenges involve complex regulations, high staff turnover, and ensuring treatment quality and standardization across facilities. The Dubai government is taking steps through the DHA and DHCC to address these issues and realize Dubai's potential as a global healthcare hub.

1. Dubai: The Medical Sector
Middle East
Association, London, UK
December 6 2012

2. Dubai: Medical Sector
1. Overview
2. The Challenges
3. The Opportunities

3. Dubai – A Global City
• Cultural and Business Centre of the Middle East
• Cosmopolitan population
• Major tourist destination (also medical tourists)

4. Health Care Goals
World Class Medical Care for
Domestic Patients
Centre for Medical Tourism

5. Government Strategy
Implementation of
Dubai Strategic Plan 2015
DHA and DHCC

6. DHA: Dubai Health Authority
• Created 2007 replacing DOHMS
• Strategic oversight of health sector in Dubai
• Licenses hospitals and professionals

7. DHA: Dubai Strategic Plan 2015
• Health Services -
Quality, Access, Integration
• Public Health Promotion
• Private Sector – enhanced engagement

8. DHA Facilities for Medical Care
4 Hospitals: Rashid Hospital, Dubai Hospital, Latifa
Hospital, Hatta Hospital
10 Specialist Centres: Thalassaemia Centre etc
14 Primary Care Centres: Throughout the city

9. DHCC: Dubai Health Care City
• Founded in 2002
• 4.1 million square feet in centre of Dubai
• 2 Hospitals, 100+ medical outpatients centres and
laboratories
• Employs 3000 licensed professionals

10. Dubai: Drivers of Health Care Demand
1. Demographics
2. Economics
3. Medical Tourism

11. Demographics 1
Overview
• Population recently exceeded 2 million
(Max population growth 1985-2005)
• Population growth and ageing
• Demographically delineated groups

12. Demographics 2
Population 1968-2012
•

13. Demographics 3
Segments
• Emiratis: 17%
• Expats: 83% (85% of this group are Asian)
• Median age 27 years
• 77% male (expat workers living without family)

14. Demographics 4
Groups and Medical Needs
Different Demographic Groups,
Different Medical Needs
Emiratis : Chronic Diseases, Lifestyle Diseases
Blue Collar Expat workers: Work related injuries,
road traffic accidents

15. Economics 1
• Increased GDP: GDP per capita projected at $58,000 by
2015, 5.5% annual growth
• Increased Government spending on health and social care
(CAGR 5%)
• Increased personal consumption of health care
(part driven by insurance with low premiums)

16. Economics 2
• Government accounts for 70% of present health care
spending
• Per capita spending on health in world top 20
• UAE 2nd highest spending in the GCC
• Huge potential growth in health care sector
(public and private)

17. Economics 3
HC Expenditure per Capita $
Qatar
UAE
Kuwait
Bahrain HC Expenditure per Capita $
KSA
Oman
0 500 1000 1500 2000

18. Economics 4
Health Care Costs Rise 30-40%
• Rising costs of Medical Equipment and New Technology
• Complex and costly Licensing Procedures
• Low cost insurance drives over consumption of health
care

19. Medical Tourism
Overview
• Worldwide medical tourism industry worth $60 B
• Aims to be major destination for medical tourism
• Low Cost Treatments in Accredited Hospitals

20. Medical Tourism
Dubai
• 25 JCIA hospitals, clinics and programmes in
Dubai (almost 50% of UAE total)
• Treatments 50% cheaper in Dubai than in the USA
• 7.5 Million Annual Tourists to Dubai

21. Medical Tourism
DHCC
<<PatientsBeyond Borders Dubai
Healthcare City Edition>>
Book authored by Josef Woodman and launched
at Arabian Travel Market 2012

22. Medical Tourism
American Hospital Dubai
No. 1 JCIA Hospital in the Gulf
8% of patients non UAE
40% of Joint Replacement Surgery non UAE
Treats patients from more than 20 countries

23. Dubai: Medical Sector Headlines
Khaleej Times Dec 2, 2012:
Dubai Medical Sector to hit
$10.9 by 2013
Government and International
Investment

24. Dubai: Medical Sector
The Challenges
Regulatory , Operational

25. Challenges: Regulatory
Cost and Complexity of Regulation
Professionals and Hospitals
Malpractice complaints dealt with by Criminal Courts and
Police

26. Challenges: Operational 1
Staff Attraction and Retention
Chronic shortage, high turnover
80% physicians and 90% nurses expatriate
Emiratis not attracted to work in this sector.

27. Challenges: Operational 2
Quality and Standardisation of Services
Accreditation and Staff
Different accreditation systems
Different Staff Training and Cultures

28. Challenges: Operational 3
Poor Perceptions, Lack of Confidence
YouGov Survey 2011
70% of residents and 57% of Emiratis would seek overseas
treatment for serious illness
OUTBOUND MEDICAL TOURISM

29. Challenges: Operational 4
Low Insurance Premiums
Strategy to attract high market share
BUT
Lack of investment in advanced technology and treatments
Over consumption of Out Patient services & Medications

30. Dubai: Medical Sector
Opportunities

31. Opportunities 1:
Specialised Centres
Specialist Hospitals and Clinics
CHRONIC DISEASE
LIFESTYLE DISEASES
GENETIC DISORDERS
TRAUMA
ONCOLOGY

32. Opportunities 2:
In Bound Medical Tourism
Medical Tourist Services
MINOR PLASTIC SURGERY
DENTAL AND ORAL SURGERY
ONCOLOGY
JOINT REPLACEMENT SURGERY

33. Opportunities 3:
Long Term Care
Long Term Care for Disability
ELDERLY
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA
REHABILITATION

34. Opportunities 4:
Home Care
AMBULATORY CARE
FOR ELDERLY AND CHRONIC ILLNESSES
REDUCES COSTS OF HEALTHCARE

35. Opportunities 5:
PPP
Private Public Partnership
TECHNOLOGY AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
ACCESS TO SPECIALIST TREATMENTS

36. Opportunities 6:
Insurance
Health Care Insurance
POSSIBLE COMPULSORY INSURANCE?
Increasing Market Size
Demand for Specialist Treatments

37. Opportunities 7:
Recruitment
Health Care Staff Recruitment
High Staff Turnover and High Demand

38. Opportunities 8:
Alternative Medicine
Demand for Alternative
Therapies Increasing
60,000 patients in Dubai treated in 2011.
ACUPUNCTURE, HOMEOPATHY, AYURVEDA, CHIN
ESE MEDICINE

39. Dubai: Business Culture
Good Infrastructure, transport, hotels
Safe
Easiest place to do business in the Gulf

40. Challenges
Decision Making can be slow
Sudden Changes of Plans
Regulatory Delays
Red Tape

41. Solutions
Persevere and Visit Often.........